Tool for handling sterile articles



March 28, 1961 J. M. THOMAS 7,

TOOL FOR HANDLING STERILE ARTICLES Filed May 2, 1957 John M. ThomasINVENTOR.

United States Fatent TOOL FOR HANDLING STERILE ARTICLES "John M. Thomas,432 Gowen St., Shaniokin, Pa.

Filed May 2, 1957, Ser. No. 656,539

1 Claim. (Cl. 294-118) The present invention generally relates to a handtool and more particularly to that type of tool generally known asforceps or a gripping tong particularly adapted for use in removingsterilized atricles from the sterilizer and :transferring such articlesto a desired position and still maintaining the sterile condition ofsuch articles.

In the administration of inoculations and also the injection of variousfluids into the body, a syringe and hypodermic needle is employed and itis absolutely imperative that these elements be sterile. It is alsoaccepted-practice to sterilize various instruments employed in surgeryand in various other practices in a hospital or a doctors oifice. Inhandling these instruments, it is necessary that the sterile conditionthereof be maintained and it is also necessary that a firm grip beprovided on such articles to prevent the accidental dropping thereof andalso to enable the instruments to be properly employed. Accordingly, itis the primary object of'the present invention to provide a tool havingnovel gripping jaws adapted for firmly and quickly gripping numerousobjects such as hypodermic needles, syringes, ,curved suture needles,small straight needles, various surgical tools and otherinstrumentalities such as-sponges, sterile pads and the like with eachobject being ,gripped by thetool being firmly and securely gripped withthe article being gripped automatically assuming a position for the bestgripping action of the gripping jaws.

2,977,150 Patented Mar. 28,1961

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Figure 4 is a detailed plan sectional view taken substantially upon aplane passing along section line 4-4 of Figure 3 illustrating the mannerin which the gripping flanges of the jaws engage the reduced portion ofthe hypodermic needle;

*Figure 5 is an enlargedelevational view of the gripping members forengagement with a small needle;

Figure 6 is a front elevational view of the gripping jaws of a modifiedform of the tool;

Figure 7 is a side elevational view of the construction of Figure 6; and

Figure 8 is a detailed sectional view showing the orientation of thedownwardly'facing lips for prevent- Referring now specifically to thedrawings, the numeral 10 generally designates the hand tool of thepresent invention which incorporates elongated leg members 12 and 14each of which is provided with a generally centrally disposed cut-outportion 16 where the legs 12 and 14 are crossed and hingedly connectedby a hinge pin '18; One end of each of theleg members 12 and 14 isprovided with a loop handle 20 for receiving a thumb and fingerrespectively of one hand for permitting manipulation oftthe leg members12 and 14 about the hinge pin 18 and also for manipulation of the tool10.

'The other end of the leg members 12 and 14 is provided with anangularly extending portion 21 together with .a grippingjaw generallydesignated by numeral 22 .at the lower end thereof. The gripping jaws 22are identical and, in fact, eachof the leg members 12' and 14 areidentical and are of unitary or one-piece construction with the entiredevice being constructed of material normally employed in tools ofthis-nature.

A further-important object of the present invention to ,pro-

tive qualities and yet-relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

. Ihese together with other :o'bjects ;--and advantages which willbecome subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the tool of the present' inventionshowing the same'ge'nerally in the position that it will be used;

Figure 2 is an enlarged front 'elevational view of the gripping jawsshowing the construction and orientationv of the elementsthereof; 1

Figure 3 is a side elevational viewtof the gripping jaws showing theorientation of the jaws when they are bottom of the sterilizer tray thatthe smallest needle In describing the jaws 22, reference is made toFigure ,2 in which each of the angulated portions 21 extend inconverging relation and terminate in spaced points .24. Below this, theangulated portions 21 extend downwardly in .a vertical manner with thisportion of the leg members 12 and 14 being indicated by the numeral 26..The inner surface of the portions 26 below points 24 are concave asindicated by numeral 28 'for gripping large cylindrical objects such assyringes 30 as shown in Figure 3. The axis of the concavity of theconcave surface 28 is substantially parallel to the horizontal surfaceso that the syringes 30 will be generally urged to a positionsubstantially parallel to the bottom of the sterilizer tray. The lowerends of the concave surfaces are rounded .as indicated by the numeral32and contact eachother when the jaws 22 are in adjacent relation. Belowthe curved points 32, the jaws 22 include a substantiallysemi-elliptical concave surface 34 which is relatively narrow'and"curves inwardly and forms shoulders 36 which terminate in theiradjacent-edges in semielliptical concave surfaces 38 whereby thecooperating concave surfaces 34 will clamp the recessed portion 40 of ahypodermic needle generally designated by numeral 42 which includes asquare body portion 44 and a square head 46 The shoulders 36 encircleunder the reduced portion 40 for securely gripping the reduced portion40 of the needle 42 substantially as illustrated in dotted line inFigure'4. Projecting outwardly or forwardly from that portion of thejaws 22 immediately adjacent to the concave surface 34 is a lip 48 whichterminates above the bottom edge of the shoulders 35 thus assuring thatwhen the bottom edge of the shoulders 36 engage the may be picked 'upthereby." The grippingaction' on a and due to the specificsemi-elliptical shape of thesurfaces 38, needles of varying size may beeffectively grippedbetween the surfaces 38.

'camming action for urging the larger syringes such as the syringe 30automatically upward into the concave surfaces 28 for forming aneffective grip thereon.

Referring now specifically to Figures 68 of the drawings, the numeral 52generally designates a modified form of the invention includingconverging legs or angulated end portions 54 and 56 each of whichareprovided with a concave inner surface as extending gradually indiverging relation and then curving sharply inwardly in convergingrelation as indicated by the numeral 60 thus forming a pair of shoulders62. The inwardly curving lower edges of the shoulders 62 form the lowerportion of a larger recess. The lowermost edge portion of shoulders 62have concave recesses 64 for gripping small articles. Extending inwardlyfrom the shoulders 62 is a The rear surface of the shoulders 62 areprohead 46 of the needle 42 thus preventing tilting movement of theneedle about a transverse axis for assuring easy assembly of the needlewith a syringe. Also, the

curvature of the surfaces 58 permits the accurate gripping of varioustypes of articles of various sizes with the recesses 64 forming adequategripping for engaging the various smaller articles in a secure mannerand in a manner which will prevent accidental dropping thereof. Articleshaving a radius greater than the height of the concave recesses 64 willbe cammed upwardly into the larger recess by the lower end of theinwardly curved lower edgeportion of the shoulders 62.

It is pointed out that the pivotal type of leg members are shown but itwill be understood that the present invention includes the use of thespecifically disclosed jaw members and any equivalents thereof invarious types of tongs such as the tweezer type or the type having a Ypivot point at a remote end from the jaws.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope 'of the invention asclaimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows: A tool for handling sterilearticles comprising a pair recessed surface 66 in projection 68 whichforms a lip '70 at the upper end thereof for engaging the upper surfaceof the square portion 44' of the hypodermic needle 42. 'vided with arecess or cut-out portion 69 forming a continuation of lip 71) forengaging the top surface of the of crossed elongated members, meanspivotally interconnecting said members at their point of crossing, oneend of each member having a loop handle thereon for receiving the thumband one finger of a persons hand thereby enabling said members to bemoved about the pivotal interconnecting means, the other end of eachmember having an angulated end portion, each angulated end portionhaving a longitudinal axis disposed in acute angular relation to anextension of the longitudinal axis of the elongated member therebyenabling the angulated end portions to be disposed vertically inrelation to a surface supporting sterile articles and the remainder ofthe elongated members disposed in acute angular relation thereto, andgripping jaw means on each of said angulated end portions, said jawmeans facing each other for gripping engagement with sterile articles,each of said jaw means including a plurality of longitudinally spacedconcave recesses disposed directly adjacent each other, the recessnearest said other end of the elongated member being smallest and havingthe smallest arcuate surface, the recess next adjacent the smallestrecess being larger and having a larger arcuate surface, the ends of theelongated member having the smallest recesses therein including lateralprojections extending perpendicularly to the elongated members and inparallel relation to each other, each projection including an innersurface, said inner surface including a recess thereon, said recessterminating below the upper edge of the projection thus forming a lipadjacent the top of the projection for engagement with the top of thebody of a syringe needle, the rear of the recess in the projectionterminating substantially at the rear end of the projection therebydefining a shoulder for reception in the groove of a syringe needle,said shoulder having an inwardly curved lower edge portion defining thelower portion of the larger recess, the smallest recess being defined bya vertically disposed concave recess in the lowermost edge portion of,the shoulder, the end of the inwardly curved lower edge portion of theshoulder defining a cam urging articles having a radius greater than theheight of the smallest recess upwardly into the larger recess uponinward movement of the angulated end portions of the elongated members.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSRichter Aug. 27, 1907 1,189,998 Perkins July 4, 1916 1,657,497 CichonJan. 31, 1928 ,-1,678,3l3 Atkinson July 24, 1928 1 2,397,823 Walter Apr.2, 1946 2,457,689 Krieg Dec. 28, 1948 2,559,978 Marco July 10, 19512,642,871 Thuerig June 23, 1953 2,668,538 Baker Feb. 9, 1954 2,719,052Young Sept. 27, 1955 2,814,963 Harrington Dec. 3, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 717,516 Germany Mar. 27, 1882 4,688 Great Britain Jan. 6, 1893

